Bearing for centrifugal machines.



M. H. BARKER.

BEARING FOR CENTRIFUGALMACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED IuLY I8. |904.

COLUMBIA PLANoanAPH co.. WASHINUTON: D. c.

MELVILLE H. BARKER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BEARING FOR CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES.

specimen@ of Letters raient.

Patented July i3, 191.5..

t Application filed July 18, 1904. vSerial No. 217,107.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MnLvILLn H. Brianna, citizen of the United States-and resident of Boston, Massachusetts, county of Suffolk, have invented certain new and useful Improvenients in Bearings for Centrifugal Ma-` chines, of which the following is a specification.

his invention relates to centrifugal machines and more particularly to that class known as hydro extractors, which are provided with a receptacle constructed to be rotated at a high rate of speed, provision being made to permita slight oscillatory or gyratory movement of the shaft. The present invention comprises a construction and arrangement whereby a ma- `chine of this type may be economically driven by ,means ofa directconnected electric motor, the construction and arrangement being such as to maintain the motor parts in constant `operative relationship to each other by permitting their simultaneous oscillation while any excess of strain or wear upon the bearings is avoided.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one `of the forms under which the principles of this invention may be embodied but it will be understood that changes may be made in the particular form, construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The figure of said drawings illustrates al side elevation, the bearing portion in central section, of a machine embodying the principles of this invention.

In the drawings a designates the floor or platform upon which the operator stands in manipulating the machine. Through the floor rise supporting standards or pillars b upon which is mounted the stationary casing b surrounding the receptacle.

A floor bracket c forms the main support for the centrifugal and at its upper end is provided with a spherical socket or bowl indicated at o in which is seated an oscillatory sleeve al provided with a spherical bearing surface adapted to rest in said socket c so as to permit a slight oscillation. The downward extension al of this bearing sleeve is surrounded by an elastic buffer or washer Z2 which bears against the bracket c in such manner as to afford a yielding resistance to the oscillatory movements of the oscillatory sleeve. This washer is clamped in place by means of a cap d3 which is held in place by rotarydriving and basket-supporting shaft i e whose upper end is secured to a common form of receptacle c. This shaft may have any suitable rotary bearing engagement with the occillatory sleeve but in this instance I have shown a thrust bearing comprising a series of washers c2 and a square washer or bearing plate e3 adapted to rest in a rectangular socket c4 formed in the sleeve d@ the object being to secure an anti-friction bearing for offording a rotatable enga gement between the rotary shaft and the non-rotatable oscillatory sleeve, it `being understood that any other suitable form of antiefriction bearing may be used forV this purpose.

The upper end of the extension head is hollowed out to form an oil reservoir as indicated, said reservoir being provided with inlet holes d communicating with the oil inlet pipe 0 to admit the oil into the oil cup or reservoir d5 for storage. The lower part of the extension head d is provided with an axial bore through which the oil may be drawn off when desired when the machine is. at` rest and'which may during the normal usage of the machine be kept plugged up.

In order to secure perfect lubrication of Athe shaft, I provide an oil pipe 0 which conimunicates at its lower end with the hollow portion of the sleeve cl so that the oil may freely lubricate the bearing washers and also pass up through the central bore of the sleeve d outside of the shaft e. Above the sleeve d I provide an overow oil cup o which serves to contain the upwardly flowing oil while preventing its flowing outside of the interior recesses in which it'is needed.

Between the oscillatory bearing and the receptacle or basket e is placed any suitable form of electric motor, the rotary element X of which is secured directly to the rotary shaft e, the non-rotatable element Y being carried by a frame g extending upward from the oscillatory sleeve Z so as to partake fully of the oscillations of the shaft and its supporting sleeve. By this construction the weight of the heavy armature is kept from adding any eXtra strain or stress upon the driving shaft, while a constant relationship between the two motor parts is always secured.

IOO

The brake shoes m7 surrounding the brake wheel or hub m8 is operated by the oscillatory ring m6 through the agency of the projecting pin m5 and the actuating lever m which is pivotally mounted on the stud m. As this brake construction forms no part of the invention claimed herein, further particulars of its construction are unnecessary.

As the rotatable vertical basket-supporting shaft has its bearing in the sleeve CZ which is deiiectable about a point beneath the motor, it is obvious that both motor and basket are permitted an oscillatory movement about this point in order that the shaft may have a slight gyratory movement as it rotates upon the universal joint by which it is supported. As both elements of the motor are in effect carried upon this universal joint, their arcs of oscillation are concentric and hence they always maintain the proper operative relationship to one another unaffected by the gyration of the shaft when in rotation.

Without attempting to set forth all the changes in form, construction and arrangement that may be made in the practice of my invention, or all the uses to which it may be applied, what I claim is l. In a centrifugal machine the combination of the fixed bracket or support provided with a spherical socket, a rotary shaft having a basket secured to its upper end, an oscillatory non-rotatable sleeve surrounding the lower end of said shaft and provided with a spherical bearing head adapted to be seated in the socket of said fixed bracket, an oil cap secured to and inclosing the lower end of said sleeve to forni an oil chamber adjacent thereto, an anti-friction thrust bearing seated in said inclosing cap, and an elastic buer interposed between said cap an'd the surrounding wall of the fixed bracket, substantially as described.

2. In an under-driven centrifugal Inachine the combination of a basket-supporting shaft, an oscillatory bearing sleeve surrounding the lower part of said shaft and supported by a ball and socket joint, an oil cap surrounding the lower end of said bearing sleeve and rigidly secured thereto, an anti-friction step bearing inclosed in said oil cap in position to receive and support the thrust of said shaft, an oil feed pipe secured to said cap to supply oil to its interior, and a supplemental oil cap secured to the upper end of-said sleeve and surrounding the shaft, substantially as described.

8. In an 'under-driven centrifugal machine the combination with the rotary ybasket-supporting shaft, the oscillatory sleeve supported by a ball and socket joint to afford lateral bearing for said shaft, a hollow cap inclosing the lower end of said sleeve and containing an anti-friction thrust bearing to support the lower end of the shaft, an elastic annular buffer surrounding said cap and engaging the same to afford a yielding lateral resistance to the oscillation` of the cap and sleeve, and a compression nut secured tothe lower end of said cap to compress said buifer in order to increase its resistance, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 11th day of July 1904.

MELVILLE II. BARKER.

In the presence of- Guo. N. GDDARD, KATHERINE A. DUGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

